Skip to main content

View Post [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 27, 2010 9:58pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Road Trips Volume Redux

Perhaps it has meaning after all. There is a rumor that rhino will offer a deal for people to pre-purchase the whole next volume and then receive the 4 releases through the year. Those that are willing to take this risk will get some sort of special bonus disc. I read this in the comments at dead.net in the 30 Days of the Dead giveaway page for 11-27 and also found this in the FAQ section:

Q: If I purchase the Road Trips 2011 subscription, would I be able to return it for a refund?

A: Purchase of this subscription is non-refundable. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I can't figure out how this would work. Are they going to announce the themes/shows for all the 2011 releases in advance or do you have to pay for them blind? Given how random the volumes have been since Vol. 1, I can't imagine putting my faith in rhino/GDP to come up with 4 consecutive releases that i would be willing to buy. I have averaged about 2 purchases for each RT volume so the odds are not good. However my fear is that the bonus disc is going to be a "must have" and suck me in.

Reply [edit]

Poster: snow_and_rain Date: Nov 28, 2010 8:41am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

So they're asking us to roll the dice and commit to four releases just to get one bonus disc? Well I've got two words for Rhino (or is it only one?): Bit Torrent.

Reply [edit]

Poster: Dudley Dead Date: Nov 28, 2010 8:30am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

To me, it is not such a bad idea, if they give you a decent price break, I like all the Dead's eras , and have enjoyed the series so far ( yes some quibbles ) . I just don't see it as so "evil" as some do . The Rts series is pretty good value for the $,especially compared to the deluxe boxed sets . Basically , I want them to keep putting stuff out, and they are going to need $ to do that , to see the Rhino as some money grubbing "dark side of the force" organization, is silly . Note: the record industry is almost not an industry anymore , to rail at them ( I have done plenty of that over the years) at this point is pointless . It seems to me they are trying to find a way to make this work, this idea is one attempt . We shall see .

Reply [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 28, 2010 10:37am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

I have also liked the Road Trips series and I think having it evolve as it has to complete shows and a "best of" from a two night run has made it even more appealing to the hard core fans that Cliff speaks of. I am just not convinced that this approach makes much sense. Either you have to buy them blind or they have to tell everyone what they intend the next 4 releases to be. Based on that FAQ answer it seems the former is more likely. Unless there is a "subscription rate" I can't imagine people will be willing to do this.

Like Micah, i have been somewhat perplexed by many of the market strategies of Rhino/GDP. No digital versions of any of their releases (except the shows that were the bulk of the RT1-1 release, about 6 months after RT1-1 came out)? You can get 180 gram vinyl of old studio releases but no mp3s or FLAC of new releases?. How does this make sense unless you think the only people who listen to the Grateful Dead are high fidelity audiophiles? How do you grow your audience if you don't use the current medium of choice for most music listeners? I think part of the answer is in your comment about the music industry. The profit margin on mp3s is much worse than on CDs from what i have been told.

Reply [edit]

Poster: Dudley Dead Date: Nov 28, 2010 10:59am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

You are correct it would help if there were a "subscription rate" , otherwise why ?
I wonder if they have been stung with their "official download series," note they don't seem to be doing that .anymore . I agree that they are not going after the digital arena in any apparently organized, sane fashion . I suspect there is that "deer in the headlights" reaction , of "what do we do ?" . It may well be that the downloads just don't make enough money to pay the bills . Since we don't know the financial scuttlebutt , It is hard to make conclusions, but suspect, no one is getting rich off all this .
I am sure they are still wary of putting out their new product as a download , and having it spread across the net for free , but "it is what it is" , you have to make it easy , and lose something, or risk making nothing .
One idea ( audio snob here) would be to sell 24 bit downloads , as an option , along with the 16bit flac, and the mp3s , but I think just keeping things going is their priority .

Reply [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 29, 2010 3:39am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

So is one free bonus disc to be received in 6 months and free shipping enough of a subscription rate for you?

http://store.dead.net/new/road-trips-2011-subscription?eml=dn/112910/rtsubs

Only positive i see out of this is that they are basically telling us that at $25 a pop, all of the 2011 Road Trips will be 3 Disc sets.

Reply [edit]

Poster: Dudley Dead Date: Nov 29, 2010 7:19am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

They are trying, but I have to agree with you it comes across a rather paltry incentive .

Reply [edit]

Poster: Arck Date: Nov 29, 2010 5:03am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

Whenever a new release is announced, out of interest I go through the steps of buying it up until the postage selection. I did that for this pre-order thing and was presented with two postage options:

1. Standard - $180.11
2. Rush - $108.51

So postage costs more than the CDs? Nice.

Reply [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 29, 2010 6:03am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

That doesn't make much sense. I tried it myself and got this

Standard: Free
Rush: $20.05
Overnight: $39.24

Reply [edit]

Poster: Arck Date: Nov 29, 2010 7:03am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

It's one of the joys of being a non-US resident who occasionally shops at dead.net. Without fail the postage costs are at least excessive and at most extortionate.

Usually there are so many complaints that the costs are lowered (somewhat). I had a look at the vinyl boxset a while ago and the postage for that was around $60 or 70.

Obviously the postage issue is one of several with this "subscription" thing. Who's going to commit to buying something unidentified? If they announce the releases (which I can't see happening) then it makes a little more sense. However if they don't reduce the postage costs by a lot, they're going to have to include original master tapes or one of Garcia's guitars as a bonus to tempt me to order.

Reply [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 29, 2010 7:20am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

So if the postage is not actually free if you are outside the US then the only thing you get is a single bonus disc for blindly giving them 100 bucks in advance? Ouch.


Reply [edit]

Poster: Arck Date: Nov 29, 2010 12:59pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

Well that's one of the other joys: all those "free postage" deals don't apply for anyone outside the US.

Essentially this subscription would cost me 50 dollars per Road Trip. I'm not sure if they think no one outside the US is capable of simple mathematics or what...

Reply [edit]

Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 29, 2010 1:18pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

well it is a safe assumption as most people in the US are not capable of simple mathematics. Why would it be different in them foreign places?

I just don't get making it so difficult for people in other parts of the world to buy this stuff. It is basically begging for international deadheads to go to blogs and download free copies. Wouldn't it make more sense to sell these releases in a form where it doesn't matter where you live? I heard somewhere that the internet can be used in such a manner for the transfer of digital files. Seems like pretty simple addition. You know like 1+1=3.

Reply [edit]

Poster: cousinkix1953 Date: Nov 28, 2010 12:42am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

A friend of mine works at the local Deadhead's FM radio station. He gets all of these releases from GD/Rhino. All I gotta do is ask for any one, or all of them...

Reply [edit]

Poster: Cliff Hucker Date: Nov 28, 2010 6:23am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Road Trips Volume Redux

What a shame! No doubt this will come to fruition, Larry. It's truely underhanded marketing that will FURTHER alienate their aging fan base. I honestly find it rather difficult to comprehend the bands inability to sell their music to a core base of fans that is rabid for specific material!